I was brought up with lots of christian ideas about forgiveness and mercy and

I was brought up with lots of christian ideas about forgiveness and mercy and

I was brought up with lots of christian ideas about forgiveness and mercy and charity and stuff, "regardless of the bad stuff someone does to you or of their merit, treat them with kindness and generosity." I reckon there is something deeply virtuous about this attitude. Now I look at the effect of a system of charity on global inequality (that is, depressingly little effect) and at the justice system and it seems to me that it is in everyone's best interests for a sense of justice, even retribution, and rewards to be in human nature. In fact, I'd suggest that the fact that those attitudes are so common is precisely because they are socially beneficial and so evolved (in the loose sense of the word). So my question is, if someone punches me in the face do I turn the other cheek or put them in prison? If a nation is poor, do we offer support with lots of strings attached and hoops to jump or just give money?

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